Man who sexually abused sisters sentenced
Victims say they are happy case is over as brother gets sent to prison
A P.E.I. man who was found guilty of sex offences involving his sisters while the victims were children was sentenced Monday morning to five years in prison.
The man appeared before Justice James Gormley in P.E.I. Supreme Court in Charlottetown for sentencing on charges that included two counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault.
In giving his decision, Gormley said the offences weren’t isolated events, and the accused targeted the young females.
“This was a systemic pattern of exploitation and abuse,” Gormley said.
During the trial, the court heard that the three complainants, who were sisters, and the accused all thought he was their uncle before learning he was really their halfbrother.
The allegations of sexual abuse dated back to when the complainants were children and involved threats to hurt them or family members if the victims ever told anyone what was happening.
As Gormley read his decision, he said it was a serious aggravating factor that the victims were younger than 18 at the time of the offences.
Gormley also said the accused was in a position of trust.
If children can’t rely on family members, then who can they trust, Gormley said.
“Children are particularly vulnerable to family members.”
Gormley said the victim impact statements showed the “heavy toll” the offences had on the women.
The sexual behaviour was aggravated by the man’s threats to the victims, Gormley said, adding the accused had ample opportunity to show mercy and didn’t.
After hearing the sentence, two of the victims met with the media, including one woman who said she thought the accused might have gotten a lesser sentence.
She said she was glad he received the sentence he did.
“I’m just glad it’s done,” she said.
The second sister, who was also at the courthouse, said she was glad to hear the sentence, although she added she wished it was higher.
“I hope that he gets what’s coming to him in jail,” she said.
A third sister, who lives in Alberta, spoke briefly to the media on speakerphone.
“I hope he rots,” she said. Along with the prison sentence, the accused must provide a DNA sample for the national databank, his name will be on the sex offender registry for life and he will be subject to a lifetime weapons prohibition.
The accused made another appearance in court Monday afternoon in front of P.E.I. Court of Appeal Justice John Mitchell on a motion seeking his release from custody pending an appeal of his conviction.
The Crown did not oppose the motion.
A publication ban prevents the release of any details that could identify the victim.
Both of the victims who were present in court Monday previously said they planned to seek to have the publication ban lifted because they want other people to know what the accused had done.